


Engagement Chicken

by MacGirl



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-04 18:59:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15153551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MacGirl/pseuds/MacGirl
Summary: The thought of turning thirty-one was pushing Tessa's personal life plan into overdrive. She should be married with kids at this point, and her new relationship needs a little help from a recipe she found online.





	1. The Breakups

**Author's Note:**

> I remembered this recipe going viral a couple of years ago, and different friends swearing by it. Hope you enjoy!

“You’ve only dated for ten months, Tess… there are no timelines here.” She could hear her sister’s hesitancy and worry across the phone. Turning thirty had hit Tessa harder than her family, friends, or fans realized, but her sister had picked up more than a few crying calls in the last few months as she realized that she was thirty and only in the beginning stages of a relationship. Now that thirty-one was staring her in the face along with her one year anniversary with Jake, she knew it was time to move things toward a proposal.

“Thirty-one, Jordan… I’m turning thirty-one in a month. I always imagined that I’d be married before thirty, and now it will be thirty-two at the earliest. That means thirty-three before we have our first child, and I’ll need to be pregnant again almost immediately to avoid high-risk pregnancy issues if I want to have more than two…” Her voice was speeding up on the verge of being out of control when her sister’s quiet laughter interrupted her.

“You know you don’t have to be married to have a baby, T. But seriously, have you and Jake even talked about marriage or your plans for the future?” This simple question made her stop cold. Her mind was racing through their most recent dates, and the farthest in advance any of their plans had been was for the weekend. Dates? “Dates” consisted of public events and fancy dinners where he knew they would be spotted and photographed together. “Dates” (including their first) always either began or ended in sometimes satisfying sex. Had they ever stayed in one night and kept things casual? Tonight would be a first.

“I mean, do you really see yourself married and spending the rest of your life with THIS guy?” Jordan had always been polite to Jake, but she couldn’t hide her tepid acceptance of him as a potential brother-in-law. “It just seems like you might be settling.”

Swallowing hard, Tessa needed to get off the phone before her carefully constructed plan disintegrated before her sister’s more than reasonable questioning. “I need to go check on dinner. I’ll call you back later, promise.” She didn’t wait for to hear Jordan’s response before disconnecting the call. 

With a deep breath and renewed resolve, she turned to face her most daunting opponent since Papadakis… raw chicken. 

She remembered laughing at an old magazine article and a viral post a few years ago about “engagement chicken.” She was no longer laughing as she looked at the whole chicken and assorted herbs in front of her. Checking the clock, she had about three hours before Jake would be here and the chicken needed to cook for a little over an hour. All of the reviews said that this was a super easy recipe AND they were engaged within a month. Looking at the chicken carcass sitting on her kitchen counter, Tessa knew this was key in meeting her timeline. She rolled her sleeves up and adjusted her hair nestled in a bun on top of her head. 

“Let’s do this.”

 

________

 

She didn’t have a meat thermometer, but it looked done from the outside. Checking the recipe again, it said to make sure the juices ran clear… okay? Grabbing a fork and knife from her drawer, Tessa poked the chicken and saw reddish juices gush from the new hole in the flesh. Frowning over the undercooked chicken, she double-checked the temperature and returned it back to the oven. Maybe another fifteen minutes?

Looking back at the clock, she realized she was cutting it too close before Jake would arrive. Preparing the chicken for the oven had taken way longer than she anticipated, and she was definitely behind schedule. Jake would be here in less than an hour. She still needed to shower and change into the new dress she bought for tonight, not to mention prepare the salad to go along with the chicken. She turned the oven up to 400 degrees, and turned to her bathroom with another deep, calming breath. She can do this.

Thirty minutes later, she realized she could not do this. The chicken was still gushing slightly pink juices, but now the entire top of the bird was seared black instead of the golden, crusty brown she left before she took a shower. She could just scrape that off (who eats chicken crust anyway?). Glancing at the recipe again, it said to let the chicken rest for ten minutes and to pour the juices over the sliced chicken. 

“Damn,” she whispered to herself as she realized that Jake would be arriving within fifteen minutes. Who did this bird think it was to rest ten minutes? She grabbed a knife, suddenly realizing she had no idea how to carve a chicken, and began sawing pieces off the breast (no one likes legs and other parts of the bird anyway). Were those juices clear or is that kind of pink? She couldn’t really tell as she continued to cut uneven, jagged pieces of meat. She got as much chicken as she could from the breast, and then remembered the juices. 

She wrinkled her nose at the swirl of pink and brown liquid and poured it over the chicken breast until it resembled a pot of chicken soup. Does she just leave it in this much juice? She shrugged her shoulders, and decided it couldn’t hurt to leave it like this until it was time to serve. She could relax because salads were kind of her specialty. She could spruce up a pre-packaged salad like Martha Stewart, and she could coast on autopilot until Jake arrived.

 

_______

 

Looking at the clock for the tenth time, Tessa should not have been surprised that Jake was late. Fifteen minutes behind schedule was his norm, but it could stretch to thirty some nights. It bothers her, but she figures it is a small inconvenience and just an annoying habit, but tonight it nags in the back of her mind as she can still hear Jordan’s warnings about settling. Watching the hands on the clock turn as another minute of her life passes by while she sits on the couch waiting, she starts to question if this is what she wants. Does she want a lifetime of waiting on the couch for Jake to finally show up? 

The knock at her door (officially, twenty-nine minutes late) keeps her from digging too deeply into this murky mental terrain. Deep breath, smooth the skirt, smile - these behaviors have been ingrained in her from an early age of media days. She doesn’t have the time to stop and question why she prepares for her boyfriend the same way that she prepares for an upcoming interview with a stranger, before she is at the door welcoming Jake to her apartment.

Jake may be late, but he is gorgeous. He didn’t even pause to look at her, before he was kissing her and running his hands across her ass and breasts. It had been nearly a week since they had seen each other, and normally she would eagerly reciprocate with her hands at his belt. However, she needed him to eat the damn chicken before they moved this to the bedroom, so she began to lightly push against his chest and attempted to talk into his mouth. “Dinner’s ready.”

He finally broke away from her, he looked at her in a dazed confusion. “We’re having dinner here?” He moved both hands to her ass, and pulled her closer so she could feel his erection against her abdomen. “Dinner can’t wait?” He didn’t wait for her response before he was kissing her mouth and trailing kisses down her neck. His hands were more insistent as he slipped a hand between her legs, and pushed her against the closed front door. Normally, she would think this was hot and sexy, but today wasn’t a normal day. Her body went nearly limp against the door as a clear sign of her lack of enthusiasm, and she watched in disbelief as he dropped to his knees and buried his head in her crotch, completely oblivious to her lack of participation. 

“Ahem.” She tapped his shoulder, and he looked up at her, but she could tell he wasn’t really seeing her. “Dinner can’t wait.” She pulled him back up to his feet, and guided him to the dining room table that was magazine perfect in the place settings and centerpiece. She decided she could ignore that he didn’t attempt to hide his disappointment, and she reapplied her media-day smile. “Let me get you a glass of wine.” She turned to the adjoining kitchen, and returned with a bottle of white wine. 

He sighed deeply, and pushed the glass of chardonnay further away from him. “White? Tessa, you know I prefer pinot noir.”

Her sister’s voice immediately played in her head, “Do you really see yourself married and spending the rest of your life with THIS guy?” She shook her head to clear Jordan’s question, and kissed Jake on the top of his head.

“Of course, but I made chicken and the guy at the wine shop said this was recommended as a better pairing.” Her voice trailed off as she remembered the chicken soup that was sitting on her counter. “Let me go get the plates ready.” She backed away from Jake, and tried not to panic to what state the chicken would be in by now.

The juices had cooled over the sliced chicken, and there was a firm solid layer of fat over the dish of jagged meat. She started to skim the fat particle to the side to retrieve the chicken, but small globes of fat clung stubbornly to the meat. She felt the first piece with her finger, and cursed herself for not placing the entire dish in the oven to remain warm.

Determined to salvage the dinner, she scooped out a couple of pieces of chicken for each plate and added the salad. Smile firmly in place, she joined Jake in the dining room with dinner. With the lights romantically dimmed, you couldn’t really tell the uneven cuts of meat or notice the fat deposits sitting on the pieces of chicken.

Sitting next to Jake, she couldn’t help watching his face for a reaction. Considering he was a popular actor in Hallmark movies, she expected him to hide his disappointment in the meal a little better. He suspiciously pushed the chicken around on his plate, and ate a bite of the salad. He glanced over and noticed she was watching him, he suddenly gave her a huge smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This is great, babe.” 

She gave him a small smile, and squeezed his arm before taking a bite of the chicken. It was definitely moist thanks to all the chicken juice and the flavoring was pretty good. Her smile grew bigger at her accomplishment, and she ate a second bite. “The chicken turned out better than I thought. You should try some.”

“Oh, um, you know, I’m, um… I’m playing around with becoming a vegetarian.” His fork was stabbing at the piece of chicken on his plate. “I’m good with just the salad.” Jake took a sip of wine, and his lips curled in distaste. “Hey, I’m going to open a bottle of pinot since I’m not eating the chicken.” He stood from the table without noticing the look of hurt and shock on Tessa’s face.

Returning to the table with a fresh glass of wine, Jake took another bite of salad. Still chewing, he slipped his hand down to squeeze her thigh. “So are you almost finished eating?” He lifted his eyebrows at her, and gave a seductive smirk. “I know what I want for dessert.” He leaned over, and kissed her neck.

Placing her hand on the hand that was currently between her legs, Tessa cleared her throat. “Jake, we need to talk.”

_______

“You MADE this?” Scott’s eyebrows were practically in his hairline from surprise. He leaned over to smell the warmed up leftovers, and he closed his eyes in appreciation. “It smells awesome, T.” He reached down with his fingers to pick up a piece as she laughed and tried to smack his hand away from the dish. He managed to get a small piece that he popped into his mouth. His eyebrows lifted again in approval. “This is GOOD! I’m proud of you, kiddo.”

He lifted his hand for a high five, and Tessa felt her face warm from the unexpected, but anticipated compliments of her best friend. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her temple with a loud smacking sound. “Seriously, I feel that you’ve been playing me for the past twenty years… making me think you can’t cook, so I do all the cooking. Not cool, T, not cool.” 

She laughed at his joking, and they both curled up on opposite ends of her couch to eat the dinner. Looking over at her best friend, she was grateful Scott didn’t hesitate to come over to her house when she called him once Jake left. She had almost called her sister, but she wasn’t close enough to help her eat all this chicken. 

He didn’t wait for her suggestions or her input, he just grabbed the remote and turned on Netflix. He looked at her before he selected the next episode of The Office. “Let’s pick up where we left off, eh?”

Eyes sparkling, she nodded. “Sounds great.”

Three episodes later, the plates were stacked on the coffee table and the bottle of chardonnay was finished. Tessa was curled into Scott’s side as she giggled at the sight of Kevin slipping in the mess of chili. Scott’s deeper chuckle caused her cheek to vibrate from the movement in his chest, and she found herself snuggling deeper into him and her arms tightening across him. Shifting her gaze from the television to his face, he was smiling and mouthing along with the scene. He looked down, catching her staring at him, and smiled. “How many times do you think we’ve seen this one? A dozen?”

Smiling back at him, “At least.” He kissed her forehead in response, and returned his attention to the screen. Always following his lead, she returned her attention to the episode but was quickly distracted by the knock at her door. A sudden lump of anxiety appeared in her throat, what if it was Jake? 

They both looked at each other, and he squeezed her tight. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it.” Scott gently shifted from the couch so she didn’t fall off of him, and she saw his shoulder set as he strode to the door with confidence and purpose. He glanced back at her and nodded his head to reassure her before opening the door.

“Why am I not surprised that you’re HERE?” The sharp accusatory question made Tess leap from her couch, and approach the door. She felt a pang of guilt (and was that jealousy?) as she looked past Scott’s girlfriend, Vicky, standing in the threshold.

Scott was looking at her in confusion. “Hey? We didn’t have plans did we?” He reached out to touch her waist, but Vicky flinched away from him.

Her eyes were glaring at him before they turned with vengeance towards Tessa. “No, but I can’t surprise MY boyfriend with a late night visit?” Her eyes were back on Scott, and she threw her lower lip out in a pout. “I went to your place, and you weren’t there.”

Scott took a step back from her, and his eyebrows were crinkled in a mixture of shock, terror, and anger. Tessa knew this look, and decided it was best that she step back from the couple. “So… you drove across town to Tessa’s?” His voice raised to a higher pitch on Tessa’s name, and Tessa shared his disbelief at the audacity of Vicky. His eyebrows went even higher. “Wait, how do you know where she lives?”

Tessa could see Vicky’s face transform from righteous indignation and anger to one of “Oh, shit!” in a split second. Her face reddened and she began to stutter. Vicky was Scott’s newest girlfriend, and they had only recently met at the rink during a rehearsal. As far as Tessa was concerned, this was definitely some concerning, scary stalker behavior. 

Scott’s shoulders deflated. “Vick, we need to talk.” He walked towards Vicky and closed the front door behind him. However, the wooden door couldn’t block the angry screaming from Vicky and the muffled calmness of Scott’s voice. She heard a loud smack and then silence. Tessa’s heart was racing as she sat on the couch, how long should she wait to check on Scott? Apparently, only the three seconds it took to think that question, because she was off the couch and heading towards the door as Scott opened it.

His cheek was a bright red, and Tessa could nearly make out each of Vicky’s fingers across his skin. She gasped and reached out to gingerly touch his cheek, but Scott gave a forced, tight smile and ducked his head from her fingers. “I’m okay, I’m fine.” He reassured her, but his eyes didn’t meet hers and she could only imagine his thoughts.

Instead of touching his face, Tessa opened her arms and Scott gladly walked forward into her embrace. He exhaled quickly into her hair, and they both took the time to breathe into one another imagining themselves backstage before a performance. Minutes passed before Tessa recognized the relaxed tone of his back muscles and the synchronized breathing and heartbeats. She propped her chin on his chest, and looked up at him. “Ice cream?”

Her heart nearly broke out of their synchronicity at the genuine smile he gave and the burst of laughter that propelled his head backwards. “Hell, yeah!” Dropping his arms from her sides, he turned towards her kitchen to pick a pint. He grabbed the first chocolate concoction he saw, and held it up for her approval. Seeing her quick nod, he pulled two spoons from the drawer and walked back towards her. “Let’s toast another failed relationship.” 

Scott grabbed her hand, and pulled her back to the couch. They curled back into one another as the episode resumed, and neither said another word as they finished off the ice cream. Scott could tell by her even, deep breathing that she had fallen asleep halfway through the following episode. Looking down at her, his breath stopped and he smiled at her sleeping on his chest still clutching her spoon. There was a small pool of melted ice cream that was stuck to his shirt beneath her hand, and he couldn’t understand how she had a small trace of chocolate on her cheek. 

He contemplated moving her or waking her to leave, but the thought brought him a pang of sadness that eclipsed any feeling he had about ending his relationship with Vicky. Besides… Vicky was kind of crazy, and who knows what she could do, he HAD to stay to make sure that Tessa was okay. His mind clicked into a determined resolve, even if that meant staying for the next couple of days or weeks. That’s a sacrifice Scott was willing to make.


	2. Sickness and Health

Sleeping on Tessa’s couch was not recommended for a few reasons. Number one, the large windows allowed an unreasonable amount of early morning sunlight to illuminate the room almost as if it were part of a greenhouse rather than a human residence. Number two, it was not very deep making it possibly bearable for a small person like Tessa, but nearly impossible for two people like Tessa and Scott. Number three, the couch is firm like concrete and there are no pillows, only an equally firm and uncomfortable arm rest that Scott knew to avoid at all cost. 

However, sleeping on Tessa’s couch had one very amazing reason that made Scott want to adopt it as his new permanent bed: waking up with Tessa asleep on top of him. Blinking rapidly against the insane amount of sunshine that seemed to cross only over his eyes, he realized his arms were wrapped protectively around his best friend. At some point during the night, their bodies had shifted and twisted until he was laying on his back with Tessa’s body laying mostly on top of his chest with her legs between his. He may regret this sleeping position and location later today while he’s at the rink, but for right now he will gladly accept any muscle aches and pains for this moment.

He grabbed his phone from the table, and realized that he will be late for practice with his team if he doesn’t leave in the next few minutes. Tessa and Scott were still touring occasionally, but they didn’t say yes to every tour like they did immediately following the Olympics. They both decided the extra time at home allowed them to pursue other avenues of their lives, but gave them the creative outlet and fulfillment of performing. Scott had coaching, and Tessa had her businesses… jewelry lines, eyewear, stationary, and fashion. 

He kissed the top of her head, and attempted to roll her over back on the couch. His lips curled into a smirk as he heard her murmur his name. For a split second he contemplated leaning down and kissing her lips, but he shook that thought a way. What the hell was he thinking?! She had a boyfriend (and he had a girlfriend) less than twenty-four hours ago. These thoughts of Tessa as something more than a friend, as more than a partner, as just more than occurred too often for Scott to count, and he had become a professional at repressing these boundary-crossing thoughts to the depths of his mind. 

Walking out of Tessa’s house and towards his car, he groaned as he saw that Vicky was in fact psychotic. He cursed under his breath when he saw that she had slashed three of his tires (what, did she get lazy?), but he began laughing as he made his way to the driver’s side. Carved so deeply that she actually caused damage to the door beneath the paint, were two words: ASS WHOLE. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Scott realized he was going to have to go back inside to borrow Tessa’s car or at least get a ride to the rink from her.

 

“Ass… Oh. My. God!” Tessa’s laughter triggered Scott’s laughter again at the vandalism of his car. “Scott… where… did… you… meet… her?!” Her hands were motioning to the spelling and the slashed tires in wonder, and her laughter splintered her words. “People sing songs about this, but they don’t actually DO it.” She started humming the only Carrie Underwood song she knew and when she made eye contact with Scott, they both burst out singing the same part. “I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive.” Tessa leaned to look into his car, “Hey, at least she didn’t carve her name into your seats.”

Scott was laughing hysterically again while Tessa tried to hold back her laughter as she walked around the car. “Way to look on the bright side, T.” Scott wiped the tears from his eyes as she made her way to put her arms around his side. 

“Why did she only slash three tires?” Tessa looked up at him in an adorably confused way that made him wish for the second time in less than thirty minutes he had the right to kiss her. “I can’t believe you dated someone with such poor work ethic.” She wrinkled her nose in disdain. "I mean, finish the job, eh?"

Rolling his eyes and laughing with her, he compromised with a kiss to her temple. “Yeah, T, this is why I ended things with her last night. Damn, I’m glad she didn’t have a baseball bat.”

“You know after this, I don’t even need coffee to make it to the rink.” He looked over at her in surprise. Did that mean she was staying at the rink with him today?

Seeing the look on his face, Tessa’s eyes widened and her lips curled into a smile. “Don’t look so surprised! I’m not sticking around waiting for Miss Vicky to come back for round two!” She lightly punched his arm, “It’ll be nice to get some time at the rink today. Maybe I can help?” Grabbing her hand in their signature hold, his smile was all the answer she needed as they turned to take her car safely secured in the garage.

______

Standing near the boards several hours later, Scott’s stomach began to rumble reminding him that he did not have a chance to eat breakfast before heading into the rink. He motioned to his team he was heading away from the ice, and made his way back to the break room to see what food he could borrow from someone else. “Banana!” He used his best minion voice as he grabbed one of the bananas from the counter, and he heard a weak giggle from the side. Following the sound of the noise, he was surprised to see Tessa laying on the couch. 

He was going to make a smart ass comment, but he quickly turned to soothing hushed tones and knelt beside her. She was pale, sweating, and shivering in a tight ball on the couch. He had never seen her this sick before, and he was even more alarmed when he felt the heat radiating from her when he touched her cheek. “Tess, we need to get you to the hospital. Talk to me. What’s happening?”

Her eyes were closed, and she shook her head slowly. “I’m fine. I’ll be okay.” Her body began to lurch, and he knew she was going to vomit. Grabbing the nearest trash can he brought it over, and held her hair back as she began heaving. He rubbed her back, and tried to soothe her, but her body was just swaying in small circles.

Once she finally stopped, her body fell back against his and a small whimper escaped her lips. “Tess, you’re not fine. I’m taking you NOW.” He didn’t leave her any room for arguing, but he quickly realized it wasn’t that simple. “Well, I’ll take you in five minutes. Hold on.” He rushed from the room to let his team and other coaches know what was happening, and within two minutes he was carrying Tessa out of the building.

A combination of their Olympic star power and Tessa’s nearly constant vomiting meant they didn’t have to wait very long for a room at the emergency room. He held Tessa’s hand as she remained tucked into a tight ball on the hospital bed. His stomach rumbled loudly, and he remembered he didn’t get that banana and groaned. Glancing at the clock, it was midday and he had skipped breakfast and lunch at this point. “T… I need to find something to eat. I’ll be right back.” She nodded her head quickly, but didn’t have the strength to open her eyes as he walked out of the room.

Walking towards the cafeteria, Scott suddenly felt light headed. Shaking his head, he was surprised how suddenly his lack of food was affecting him. Another step forward, and he had to stop and brace himself against the wall. His stomach made a lurching noise, and he looked desperately around him for the nearest bathroom. 

Scott lost track of time, alone and stranded in the first stall of the first bathroom (which happened to be a ladies’ restroom) he came across. His intestines felt like they were gripped in a vise, and he could literally feel his stomach contracting in preparation for more hurling. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he knew he had to get back to Tessa. He managed to make it back into the hallway before a concerned nurse stopped him. The last thing he remembered before collapsing on the floor was calling out Tessa’s name.

______

He couldn’t open his eyes, but he could swear he heard his mother’s voice talking softly about the upcoming summer Olympics. His head was pounding as if he had a massive hangover, but he knew he only had one glass of wine last night. He must be dreaming, and he tried to hush his mother in his head, but that resulted in a definitive swat to his shoulder. He could feel his face scrunch in an attempt to recognize the other voice. Why was he dreaming about a conversation between Kate Virtue and his mother?

“I think he’s waking up.” That was definitely Kate’s voice. 

“Scottie?” That was definitely his mother’s voice.

A low groan followed by a strangled plea for “Ice.” That was definitely Tessa.

What the hell was happening? He focused all the strength of his body, and strained to open his eyes. Exhausted and dazed he looked straight ahead, and realized that he was lying down in a hospital bed. He tried to turn his head, but a wave of nausea convinced him that was a terrible decision. He shifted his eyes to see he had an IV in one arm, and his mother was clutching the hand of his other arm. He shifted his eyes in the other direction, and he could see that Tessa was in the next bed with her mother by her side.

He tried to verbalize his question, but his voice was broken and his throat felt parched. He suddenly understood why Tessa was pleading for ice. Alma was soothing him, and she had a cold, wet washcloth in her hand that she was wiping his forehead. It felt amazing. “Shhh… what did you two eat?! You’re both dehydrated from salmonella.”

“Ugh… the engagement chicken. This is all my fault.” Tessa’s voice came out in a cry, and he could hear her hurling over the side of her bed. 

“Engagement chicken?” Three voices chorused the same question to Tessa. Scott’s heart was racing… was she planning on getting engaged to the fucking Hallmark dude?! Unfortunately, the pain in his abdomen clearly meant this would have to be tabled for now. If he was sitting in the vantage point of their mothers, he’d probably laugh at the two of them right now… they even vomited in synchronization.

 

Several hours of IV fluids later, and many, many trips to the bathroom, but Scott was finally feeling like a person again. Looking over at Tessa, he could tell the color was returning to her cheeks and she was feeling better too. The doctors had said that they could go home in the morning, but they should expect to stay in bed for the next few days until the worst of the symptoms passed. Their mothers decided they would take turns looking after them, and it just made sense for them to both stay at Tessa’s house because of it’s more centralized location. He knew he needed to have this conversation with her now, while they were alone.

“So… engagement chicken?” Scott lifted an eyebrow at her, and made sure to emphasize the word engagement with as much shocked surprise as he could muster after today.

She closed her eyes, and sighed. She knew this was going to happen, but she was hoping that he would forget in the midst of his battle with food poisoning. No such luck. “That’s just what it’s called. It’s not a big deal.”

“Tesssssssssaaaaaaa…” he could always tell when she was holding back, and she was definitely not sharing the entire story with him. “I’m too weak to come over there. Hell, I’m too weak to threaten to come over there. Talk to me, T.”

Maybe it was the dehydration. Maybe it was the vomit. Maybe it was the humiliation of both of them being hospitalized because of her cooking. There were a lot of contributing factors and a lot of reasons for the tears falling down her cheeks. She heard a soft groan from Scott, and she was alarmed to see him out of his bed, shuffling his feet over to her. Groaning again, Scott managed to lift himself into her bed without ripping his IV from his arm. Breathing hard from the exertion, he didn’t have the energy to wrap his arms around her or to offer any other physical comfort other than his presence next to her in the hospital bed. 

She shifted in the bed to allow both of them to be more comfortable. Laying her head in the crook of his arm, Tessa began to talk. She shared her timeline for her personal life, and the thought process behind her relationship with Jake. Which meant she had to admit there wasn’t a real connection, okay there wasn’t ANY connection with him, and that her sister was right… she was settling. She admitted she was embarrassed that turning thirty bothered her, but turning thirty-one was even more terrifying because it seemed she was even further away from hitting the timeline of marriage and children. Together they hit nearly every professional goal they made, but on a personal level she felt she was floundering. Finishing her very long monologue, she was surprised that Scott was awake and listening despite never interrupting or questioning her. She turned her face to look at him, and he kissed her forehead. He looked at her with the same adoration that their fans recognized on the ice, and she felt a different lurch in her stomach at the thought that maybe this wasn't manufactured, maybe it was genuine.

“I’m still stuck on the fact that you made engagement chicken for the dude who was the SECOND lead in ‘Marshmallow Dreams.’ I can’t believe you were going to settle for that douche hat.” He managed to produce a small chuckle, but he had to swallow back the wave of nausea. “Seriously, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and Mr. ‘Cookie Express’ didn’t deserve to have your phone number much less eat your chicken.” Her eyes were gleaming with tears again, and her bottom lip was sucked back behind her teeth. “Tess, you defy all expectations and you break the damn mold. You don’t need some asshole husband to have a family or whatever life that you’re wanting.” He kissed her forehead again with more force than he thought he had, and he was finally able to bring his arms around her to hold her closer to his chest.

Silent for several minutes, Tessa finally looked up at him and asked. “Did you mean asshole or ass WHOLE?” She smiled as he rolled his eyes and scoffed at her attempt to lighten the mood. Snuggling back into his chest, she yawned. “Thanks for always seeing the best in me, Scott.”

“Love you, T.”

“Love you more.” 

Drifting off to sleep, Scott’s eye flew open. Wait… did she say MORE or MOIR?


	3. Day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 of four days of mandatory bed rest and recovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments! I hope you're enjoying the story, and it isn't too predictable. I'm planning on having a chapter for each of the four days they are at home recovering, and then we'll see where it goes after that.

Day 1:

Scott had been awake for at least an hour, and it was hard not to fixate on current events with Tessa. Moir or more… that’s a seismic semantic difference, and he had to fight the urge not to wake her for clarification. If Hallmark Jake wasn’t such an ass, he would be here in the hospital with her rather than barely out of the picture. He never wanted to be the rebound guy for Tessa, but her confession last night made him think her next guy will be her last guy. So this finally had to be HIS time… right? 

Fortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by the morning nurse popping into their room to check their vitals. Shock and awe was the best way to describe her expression seeing them nestled together in Tessa’s hospital bed. She whispered that they would be released by lunch, and promised to return with water. He noticed how she passed through the door, putting her hand to her heart, before she left the room. She must be a talker, because soon there was a flurry of activity outside their door as people would stop to peek a glimpse. Everyone had the same reaction - head tilt, hand to heart, and smile.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see the exact same reaction when Kate and Alma entered the room whispering conspiratorially with one another until they were stunned into silence by their children. He wasn’t surprised at all to hear his mother’s sniffles and to see her wipe away a tear - she has always been the emotional one. But he sure as hell was surprised to see Kate grab a tissue and dab at the corner of her eyes, a small gasp caught in her throat that made her turn to leave the room. Kate’s response was so extremely unexpectedly emotional that his mind panicked for a moment (Oh my God, we’re dead!) until he focused on their breathing.

“We saw the doctor in the hallway. We’re taking you home.” Alma’s voice was still choked up, but loud enough that it caused Tessa to stir next to him. 

He watched her eyes open in startled confusion, but she relaxed when her eyes focused on Scott. Tessa gave a small smile and sleepily murmured, “Good morning.” She began to stretch out next to him, and the feeling of her body moving against his caused a moment of dread as he repeated the same mantra he would chant inside his head as a teenager (don’t get hard, MOLD, don’t get hard, MASCOTS, don’t get hard, MAYONNAISE). The thin hospital blanket, the thinner hospital gown, and the presence of BOTH of their mothers meant this was the absolute worst timing for Scott to have an erection. Tessa placed her hand on his chest and groaned next to him (that was not helping matters), “I don’t think I’ve ever pooped so much. I’m never eating chicken again!” He laughed in agreement with her (yup, that did the trick, nothing to see here, folks!).

______

They were released home, and despite being professional athletes, they were exhausted and weak. The doctor warned them to stay hydrated and in bed for a few days or they would wind up back in the hospital. Scott knew that their mothers had already devised a schedule and plan for taking care of them. He tried to object, “We’re grown ass adults, mom. We can take care of each other.” However, he quickly backed down when he saw the look in both women’s eyes, and he tried to ignore the quick double-take Tessa did at his words.

Sitting in the backseat of the car, Scott and Tessa were dozing in and out of sleep, leaning on one another. Alma’s eyes softened at the sight in the rearview mirror as she had a flashback image of the two of them over twenty years ago. She looked over at Kate with teary eyes, “All that’s missing is that Marvin pillow.” 

Kate glanced in the mirror at the two with a soft smile. Digging into her purse, she handed her friend a tissue. “Alma, you’re going to have to pull yourself together. I can’t have you crying every time you look at them.” She gave her friend a determined look. “You’ll spook both of them.”

Sighing with determination, Alma pulled all of her inner strength with a deep breath. She knew Kate was right. “You’re right. I can do this.”

Arriving at Tessa’s house, Scott was shook. His eyes blinked rapidly trying to comprehend what the two women were suggesting, no demanding. He dropped his head, but looked up from under his eyebrows at both of their mothers. “You want me to sleep with Tessa?” His eyes darted from his mother to Kate, “YOU want ME to sleep with YOUR daughter?” He was waiting for some clarification before he made any refusals or arguments.

“Well, Scott, it appears you already did last night.” Kate’s dry response showed no moral outrage, just cool rationalization with a cocked all-knowing eyebrow (damn, that’s where Tessa gets it!). “Her king size bed is roomier and more comfortable than that hospital bed. I honestly don’t understand your objection.” Her eyes revealed no emotion, just logical calculation. His mom was a different story. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes were sparkling, and she had a face-splitting smile at this prospect. 

“I don’t think…” Scott started to explain how he should sleep in the guest room or he should go home or he should be anywhere but in Tessa Virtue’s bed at the instance of her mother. 

“Scott, you’re right… don’t think, you’re sick.” Kate was moving forward causing him to back towards the bed. “Alma and I are staying in the guest room. Where do you think you’re going to sleep? Don’t make this harder on us, and get in the bed.” Her face and stance left no room for negotiation, and Scott simply nodded as he sat down on the bed.

Tessa exited the bathroom wearing only a t-shirt that stopped at her upper thighs. She gave a small groan as she slowly made her way past both mothers, and crawled into her bed causing Scott to look away and down at his hands to avoid staring at her black panty-clad ass. He could feel the blush spread across his cheeks, and he could swear when he looked up to catch a glimpse of Kate she was smirking at his discomfort before she walked over to her daughter.

Tessa nestled down into her comforter, and then looked over at Scott with mild confusion. “Are you staying here?” 

“Yes.” Her mother answered for him. All Scott could do was lift his eyebrows and exhale in defeat.

“But, I need clothes.” He looked over at his mother, and she was nodding in agreement already heading for the bedroom door. She couldn’t hide her excitement for this zany, impromptu slumber party.

“On it, Scottie. Be back in a bit.” She blew a kiss, and was thankful to let Kate take the first shift. Her face was as open as Scott’s and she knew there was no way she could hide her eagerness at finally bringing these two kids together.

Kate waited until she heard the front door click before she turned to Scott. “Go ahead and get comfy, you need to be in bed. I’ve already brought water for both of you. You heard the doctor, get your fluids.” She tucked Tessa into the covers, and kissed her head. She raised an amused eyebrow at Scott before she kissed his cheek. Shutting the door behind her, she instructed both to get some rest.

All of the movement and activity had taken its toll on Scott as he felt his energy draining. He was still sitting on the edge of the bed, but he was starting to feel slightly light-headed, and knew he needed to lie down soon. He glanced nervously over to Tessa who appeared to be staring beyond a fixed spot on his back, but her gaze shifted to meet his when he turned. “So… um, do you mind, um…” His eyes darted from hers, and he couldn’t bring himself to ask her what shouldn’t cause him any anxiety or hesitation. He had dropped his pants in front of her a thousand times over the course of their career without a second thought. 

Tessa’s eyes went from confusion to humorous in less than a second. Her voice had a slightly teasing tone, and she reached out to touch his arm. “Scott, take your pants off.” Her thumb stroked across the inside of his forearm, and she watched him swallow hard before he jumped up from the bed, nearly falling from the dizziness he felt earlier. “Are you okay?”

She couldn’t quite make out what he was muttering, but it sounded like “Mold, mascots, mayonnaise,” which didn’t make any sense whatsoever. She saw Scott’s curt head nod as he stumbled towards the bathroom. Shutting the door firmly behind him, she heard a loud groan escape the other side of the door. She knew exactly what he was feeling and nodded in understanding before she laid her head back to her pillow.

 

Scott had shared sleeping space with Tessa probably hundreds of times. It wasn’t unusual for either one of them to curl up on the side or rest on the shoulder of the other for naps or longer stretches of sleep. Scott joked about napping with Tessa over the years was like a weird version of Green Eggs and Ham (“I will sleep on you on the bus, on a train, in a car, and on a plane.”). Sleeping on each other wasn’t weird or awkward, it was natural and just made sense considering their travel arrangements. However, this was the first time Scott had ever slept with Tessa in HER bed, and this was on a whole different level he had never explored.

She was already curled into the bed when he exited the bathroom. She had her back towards him as he tried to climb into bed without disturbing her. However, as soon as he was settled under the covers and turned off the light, she shifted. Just like the couch, the hospital bed, and the countless other locations of previously shared slumber, Tessa arranged herself into his side. All the anxiety and the worry vanished as they both sighed with as much contentment as they could experience while suffering intestinal distress.

Any other night, Scott would want to talk (or other things), watch a movie (or other things), or rub his hands along her back (or other things), but tonight was for sleep. He really couldn’t entertain any other thoughts as he drifted to sleep except this spot, in this bed, with this woman was worth a lifetime of salmonella. 

 

It was weird for her non-skating girlfriends to understand, but Tessa and Scott had slept together in various places and positions for over twenty years. During touring season, Tessa never slept better than when she snuggled into Scott’s side. Despite the hundreds of times she woke up with Scott’s arm around her, they had never shared HIS or HER beds… this was a first. How weird (and wonderful?) that they could still have firsts after twenty plus years together?

There was no hope that Tessa could fall asleep before Scott returned to her bed. Her mind was too busy replaying events from the past, imagining decades into the future, and planning for the next few minutes. She had loved Scott Moir since she was a child, and there were stages in her life she was desperately “in” love with Scott, but, it was never reciprocated or it was never reciprocated at the right time. She knew that Scott loved her, and there were moments she thought he might even be “in” love with her, but it was in the middle of a competition or while she was involved with some stupid asshole. Unfortunately, as wonderfully synchronized they were on ice, their romantic timing off the ice was shit. 

She heard the bathroom door open, and a few moments later she felt Scott slide into her bed. She waited until he turned off the bedside lamp before she wordlessly settled along his side. She took a deep breath in before they both exhaled together. Maybe their timing was finally right?

 

Kate and Alma sat across the table from one another, each holding a glass of wine and listening out for any distress signals from upstairs. Against Scott’s protests and reminders that they were both adults, Alma insisted on leaving a bell on the nightstand “Just in case we don’t hear you.” The two old friends used the time to catch up with one another, reminisce of earlier years of competition travels, and scheme some long overdue matchmaking.

“This might finally be the right time for those two.” Alma looked up towards the stairs with a wistful sigh. Alma had always been welcoming to Scott’s previous girlfriends, and there were a couple that she would have gladly accepted into the family if she truly believed they would last or make Scott happy. However, she knew the only woman that fit that criteria was upstairs and had already been inaugurated into the family decades earlier. 

Kate chuckled in agreement. “Fortunately, Tess’s choices in boyfriends have been abysmal.” She nodded towards the bedroom. “That makes what she has with Scott even more glaringly, obviously the superior relationship. How can anyone compare?”

Alma was going to cry again, so she gave her head a quick shake. “Ok, I know you’ve got a plan. What do we do?” She leaned forward, and waited for Kate’s instructions.

“Well, we need to stay long enough that he doesn’t move into the guest room as soon as we leave, but we don’t need to stay so long that we make it awkward for them with their mothers in the next room.” If she had any discomfort talking about possible intimacy between their children, she didn’t show it. “They've got four days of quarantine and mandatory bed rest... We may not need to do anything at all." Kate smirked as she held her wine glass to clink Alma's before she took a long sip of wine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay... I like alliteration. I had just cleaned some mold from an old cooler to prepare for July 4th festivities, and so that was the first thing I thought of with something gross to make you not want to be sexy with someone. We know about mascots, so what's another thing that starts with M and is gross? Sorry if you like it, but in this story, he finds mayo as disgusting as I do. :)


	4. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the sweet notes! Hopefully, you enjoy the direction this headed and you're sticking with the story.

Day 2:

The width of a king size mattress is 76 inches (193 centimeters); however, Tessa and Scott’s cuddled bodies only took up a fraction of the space. Tessa’s bed held 6 decorative throw pillows and 4 king size pillows, but they only needed one. Normally, Tessa enjoyed the weight of sleeping underneath a comforter and a blanket, but this morning she found all she needed for a restful night’s sleep was a thin sheet and Scott’s arm draped across her back.

Tessa was consciously aware of her surroundings for a few minutes before she finally opened her eyes. During those few minutes she was able to appreciate the firmness of Scott’s torso, the warmth of his skin against hers, and the pressure of his arm securing her to his side. She listened to his heartbeat beneath her ear, and she felt her body moving with the rise and fall of each breath. She was slightly embarrassed to realize her bare leg was draped over his bare leg, and the delicate fabric of her underwear and the slightly thicker cotton of his boxer briefs were the only things separating herself from Scott’s hip. She was mostly relieved that, for the first time in her life, she woke up before Scott this morning, and that meant she could move her leg to a more respectable position next to him.

With the moves of a nimble cat, Tessa delicately untangled her leg from Scott’s and attempted to reposition herself by his side rather than half on top of him. However, her movements caused Scott to make a low sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a moan of contentment, and he tightened his hold on her. She immediately froze, and her eyes fixed on his face as she watched his lips turn up on one side into a smirk. Without opening his eyes, his voice came out in a sleep induced husky whine, “Why are you moving so much?”

Her voice was equally as raspy as she whispered some floundering explanation about trying not to squish him or make him uncomfortable, but he kissed the top of her head and placed a finger to her lips. “You’re like a beautiful butterfly, T. In what world do you squish me? The only thing making me uncomfortable is all this squirming around you’re doing.” His hand rubbed along her back and murmured, “always so restless.” His breathing was slow and methodical, but she could feel hers increasing significantly, which meant it was only a matter of time before he felt it too.

His familiar hand continued to lightly rub her back, politely lowering her t-shirt which had ridden up throughout the night. She was feeling a deep churning in her abdomen that had nothing to do with undercooked chicken as his fingers brushed along her spine, and she sat up a little too quickly. The sudden queasiness made her head collapse back to his chest. “I need to take a shower!” she declared into his shirt. 

Running his hand through her hair to cup the back of her head, his eyes were finally open and silently laughing at her when she looked up. “Should I ring the bell for some assistance?”

Almost as if they had been summoned, there was a light knock and the door opened to reveal Alma and Kate each carrying a tray. If they were shocked to see their children embracing in bed, they didn’t show it. Alma started hyper-babbling about the toast and juice she brought up for them, while Kate was quietly observing them with a barely noticeable smirk. She gently scolded each of them for not drinking more water, and went to the bathroom to make sure it was ready for each of them to take a shower. Double checking that their immediate needs were taken care of, they quickly left the room with kisses and muffled squeals as they shut the door.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think our moms were actually happy we got food poisoning.” Scott gave her one of his best comical looks and propped himself up to eat a piece of toast. Between bites he nodded towards the bathroom, “Do you want to go first?” 

Her earlier arousal and mortification from their mothers was now mixed with amused annoyance at the crumbs that would inevitably wind up in her bed. She wanted to yell at him “NO, we should go together!” But that would be highly inappropriate considering their moms were probably listening at the door… and that she had a longterm boyfriend up until like a couple of days ago… and so did Scott... and speaking of Scott, that it was SCOTT, who probably saw her as a sister and a platonic partner and didn’t want to see her naked and didn’t want to think about her like that, and ugh… she didn’t know how much longer she could take all of this. So she took a deep breath, said a meek, “yeah,” and scrambled into the bathroom.

 

The first conscious thought Scott had this morning was, “Damn, this bed is so much better than mine.” The second immediate thoughts Scott had were decidedly more explicit and involved his half-naked best friend currently straddling his side. Her breathing was deep and slow with a rhythm he couldn’t force himself to match. A million scenarios danced in his head, but attempting to wake her was never even a possibility. He used the next hour to watch her eyes flutter in dreams, her lips curl and open in response to whatever fantasy occurring behind her closed lids, and to feel the occasional movements as she drifted from different stages of sleep.

After she repositioned herself with her bare leg even more firmly entangled with his, Scott decided that it was safe to move his arm more securely across her back. He lightly placed his other hand over the hand she splayed across his chest. He bit back the grin when she latched onto his fingers and pulled his hand close to her chest with a sigh. Matching her, he relaxed even more and kept the thoughts of the rink and real world as far away as possible. 

Eventually, Tessa began to stir and he knew the minute that she was awake because her body went stiff in recognition and realization of their position. With the jarring moves of a drunken ninja, she awkwardly and self-consciously began shifting her body away from his. However, he wasn’t ready for this temporary spell to be broken and he slightly increased the pressure in his hold on her to show her it was okay and to stay in this moment with him.

He moved his hand to rub circles on her back, but he realized that in all of her restless movements her shirt had ridden up her torso. He respectfully pulled the hem of the shirt down as he continued his even pressure along her spine. He hoped this would reassure her that this was okay, but he could feel her breathing increase and she suddenly lurched up before nearly collapsing back towards his chest.

Oh, the irony… being a gentleman was so fucking hard sometimes. He didn’t want to suggest ringing their mothers for assistance. He wanted to share the shower with her, and be the one to help her if she was sick, he didn’t want his mommy to come running for help.

As if to highlight this very frustrating point, Kate and his mother were there… in the bedroom, looking at them in bed together as if they were watching their favorite Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts movie. Forget sugar, his mom was on a romance-high and she was babbling almost incoherently about toast and juice. The last time he saw his mom this excited and exuberant was Christmas morning after a couple of mimosas. And then, Kate, oh my God… will he ever be able to look this woman in the face again?! What is that expression… she looked like the damn cat that ate the canary as she reminded him to stay hydrated. Did he imagine a raised eyebrow when she said the shower was ready for “them” and she made sure there were two towels near the tub? He definitely didn’t imagine the squeals of delight as the door shut behind them.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think our moms were actually happy we got food poisoning.” Scott raised his eyebrows at Tessa, and grabbed a slice of toast from his tray. He nodded towards the bathroom, “Do you want to go first?” 

For once, looking at Tessa was like looking at an open book without the carefully constructed facades to keep her true feelings in check. He could see each emotion cross her face, and he nearly laughed at the current expression that he knew had to do something with him eating in her bed. However, the uncertainty on her face as she bolted into the bathroom made him simultaneously feel fear that this his actions and words would be futile attempts at too little too late, and a newfound determination to show her how he truly felt. Hearing the bathroom lock click behind her, he knew he had to proceed with caution.

 

 

Alma’s mouth was nearly to the floor and her eyes were bulging as they shut the door to Tessa’s bedroom. She was speechless and surprised to hear a small squeal escape Kate’s lips. She quickly shushed and nudged her. Both mothers giggled as they scurried away from the door, and whispered their surprise at how well things were progressing so quickly.

“That was after only the FIRST night!” Alma’s hands were grasped in front of her chest. She had her best neutral expression on her face inside the room, but out in the hallway in front of her conspirator she could show her true exuberance at the potential romance.

“Well, technically, this is the second night they’ve slept together.” Kate’s excitement got the best of her and she reached out to clutch her friend’s shoulders. “We just have to keep them in that room.” Huddled together they made their way down the stairs to plot their next move.

 

 

It was amazing how much better both Tessa and Scott felt after showering and changing into clean clothes. Their mothers made it abundantly clear they were not allowed to leave the bedroom for any reason today. All of their supposed needs would be met by the two women chattering away downstairs. They were hungry? Alma was upstairs with toast and bananas. Thirsty? Kate was ready to refill their water glasses and bring them some weak tea. Bored? They brought cards, books, and a couple of board games.

“Do you think they think we’re contagious?” Scott looked over his hand of cards across the bed at Tessa. Her head tilted in contemplation, but she eventually grinned and shook her head.

“What if they’re kidnapping us and holding us for ransom?” He was determined to see that grin turn into a full fledged Tessa Virtue smile and giggle. 

She rolled her eyes before laughing with a larger smile. “I don’t think Danny or Jordan would pay for either one of us.”

He chuckled along with her. “Well, fuck… I guess you’re stuck with me.” He threw her the best damn heart eyes he could muster, and made sure to do the thing with his eyebrows she always said she loved. If it wasn’t for their frequent bathroom visits, Scott could pretend this was an example of a normal night of what it could be like every night together.

“What else is new?” Her eyes were playing with him, and he sucked his breath in as her eyes traveled down from his along his body towards his lap. She licked her lips before locking eyes with him again. “Careful, Moir, your cards are showing.”

In his concentration on Tessa, he totally forgot about the game they were playing. He looked down to see he had dropped his hand to his knee, casually revealing all.


	5. Misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops! Sorry... uh, they're still in bed, but feeling better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen the movie "Misery" - I'm not spoiling it too much. 
> 
> Thanks again for all the comments, and sticking with the story! I hope you enjoy!

Day 3:

The last time either Scott or Tessa had spent this much time in bed they were recovering from an injury, and even then they were involved in rehab or physio or something that required them to move. However, their mothers prohibited anything outside of Tessa’s bedroom as off limits and would quickly swat them back into the bedroom, specifically the bed.

“We’re bored!” Scott finally yelled at the door that had just firmly shut in his face by his OWN mother. He turned his head at Tessa’s exasperated giggle from the bed. She looked like an angel propped up against the headboard, and he couldn’t let his thoughts go there… he needed to get out of this room before the constant presence of her bed overwhelmed his vow of caution. He looked over at her with exaggerated, disapproving eyebrows, “Don’t encourage them with laughter! You try getting out of here.” 

She cocked her head to one side, and sighed dramatically at him. He watched her carefully pull the sheet off of her legs, and place each foot on the floor. He felt a pang of disappointment that she made sure to wear leggings to bed last night, and he missed the feeling of her bare leg over his from the night before. She straightened the oversize t-shirt over her hips, and adjusted the messy bun on top of her head. Her eyes and lips were set in gritty determination he hadn’t seen since they stopped competing, and he was ready to throw her back into bed… mold, mascots, mayonnaise.

She lightly pushed Scott to the side, and he could feel each fingerprint embedded on his skin long after she turned away from him. She opened her bedroom door with a victorious look over her shoulder only to shriek as Alma and Kate stepped into the doorframe. “Where do you think you’re going, Tessa Jane?” Her mother was giving both of them THAT mom look. “Get. Back. To. Bed. BOTH. Of. You.” Kate’s hands were on her hips, and her eyes narrowed, she meant business.

Rolling her eyes at her mother, Tessa threw her hands up in frustration. “This is ridiculous!” 

Scott quickly stepped forward to try a different approach. He placed a hand on Tessa’s shoulder, and gave her a look that would hopefully deescalate the current standoff. Motioning his hands between himself and Tessa, he smiled with gratitude towards their mothers. “We truly appreciate everything you’ve done for us, but we’re feeling so much better thanks to you.” He looked towards Tessa for affirmation, and she nodded enthusiastically. “We’re ready to come downstairs.”

Alma and Kate exchanged skeptical looks while appearing to have a silent conversation between them, and Scott finally understood all of Skate Canada’s complaints about being around him and Tessa. “We’ll discuss it, but until then, you two should rest… in bed” His mother kissed both of their cheeks before she closed the door behind them.

Scott flung his head back dramatically, “It’s like they are reading freaking fortune cookies… in bed.” His hand reached out for hers, and they sulked back towards her bed. “You know they are like an hour away from smashing our ankles.” He brought his hands up together as if he was holding an imaginary sledgehammer, and down with a popping sound of his lips. His eyebrows shot up when she didn’t get the reference. “Ankles? Sledgehammer? Misery?!”

Tessa’s eyes looked horrified, and she was grateful she had never seen whatever movie he was referencing. His eyes bulged as she shook her head no and shrugged her shoulders. “That’s it. We’re watching the movie.” He turned and looked around her bedroom, as if he was just looking and realizing for the first time, ’T? Where’s the TV??

She pointed to herself. “Right here!” He could tell they were starting to go stir crazy, because Tessa’s immediate giggle turned into a full-blown honking laughing spell. He raised an eyebrow at her joke, but it didn’t take long for his wince turned into breathless laughter. Clinging to each other, they were gasping to catch their breaths. 

He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to cup her cheek, his thumb sought the few tears and wiped them away. “You…” his voice trailed off and his eyes scanned her face, lingering on her lips. He felt a stabbing of arousal as she licked her bottom lip, and he had to close his eyes to try and picture mascots in molded mayonnaise. His eyes flew open though when he felt her lean her cheek further into his hands, and her hands move to his hips. This was it… he was going to kiss her.

He tightened his hold on her cheek, and her eyebrows furrowed for a split second. Scott blinked, and blinked more rapidly as he reevaluated the scene. What he momentarily thought was longing, was no different than any other look she had given him on the ice or any other time they were together… right? Her hands were no longer on his hips, but nervously gripping each other. She was just bracing herself, and nervous about whatever crazy expression was on his face… right? This was not the right time. This was not proceeding with caution. This had to stop.

He flashed her his well practiced smile, and strode towards the door. “Ma?” He opened the door, and didn’t have to wait long for the near instantaneous reply from both mothers downstairs. “Tessa doesn’t even have a television up here!” He made sure to exaggerate his pouting whine, before he asked more politely. “Can you please bring her laptop upstairs?”

 

 

Their mothers were insane. That was the only possible explanation for keeping two professional athletes locked in a bedroom for three days. Even more worrisome, is there was no indication they were leaving any time soon. Watching Scott attempt to negotiate downstairs time, she was starting to this Scott’s joke about holding them ransom might not be so ridiculous. 

The door closed again, and as usual she was completely bewildered by his movie reference. Over twenty years together, and they had only watched a handful of movies together because their preferences were so vastly different. His animated description of Misery was not convincing her that they were any more cinematically compatible now than they were as kids.

He had spent two nights in her bed. How is he just now noticing there isn’t a television in her room? She couldn’t resist pointing to herself and making the joke, “Right here!” She really was going crazy stranded in this room, and she dissolved into giggles and laughter. It didn’t take long before he was laughing with her, and she used that as an excuse to reach out to cling towards him. As they both caught their breaths, she felt that same familiar fluffy feeling in her abdomen as he looked at her with crinkled eyes and a shaking chest. Her breath caught as his hand reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb wiping away the tears from her laughter.

“You…” his voice trailed off and his eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips. Instinctually, she licked her lips and she had a small feeling of triumphant as she watched him swallow and his eyes start to close. She leaned her cheek into his hand, and braced herself by moving her hands to his hips. He was going to kiss her, and it was about damn time.

His fingers tensed against her cheek, and his eyes blinked. Then they blinked again more rapidly, as if trying to stop and reverse whatever moment was occurring. There was a brief look of longing and regret before he flashed her his famous smile, and strode towards the door asking for her laptop. Whatever moment they had was quickly gone, but she had to put on her best smile for the two women who were eagerly running to her room fulfilling the request.

 

 

“Do you think we are pushing this too far?” Alma’s eyes were worried, but Kate gave a quick pat of reassurance on her friend’s back. 

“This is perfect! They are getting frustrated, so that means they are going to turn towards each other and it also means that they are starting to feel better.” Kate smiled at Alma, but she was also worried that their plan might backfire. What if locking them in the room together made them turn on one another instead?

“True. Romance is the last thing on your mind when you’ve got explosive… well, you know.” Alma was pacing in the kitchen, and it was evident that she was also starting to get antsy from being cooped up for the past few days. “What if this just pushed them further into the friend zone?”

Kate shook her head against that idea. “I think this is pushing them back together as a team against us, and recovering together. We just need them to slow down, and relax.” She was really hoping this worked.

Alma was still skeptical. “They were both dating other people up until the other night.” He voice trailed off, and she looked back upstairs.

“But who did Tessa call when she broke things off with Jake? Who came running to her as soon as she was single? This HAS to be the right time for them.” Kate wasn’t just trying to convince Alma, saying it out loud she was convincing herself. 

Their conversation was broken by Scott’s cry, “Ma?” They both replied, and smiled at each other as he requested a laptop. 

“See! This is perfect! They can watch a sweet, romantic movie while they stay in bed.” Kate was whispering as they made their way back upstairs. Entering the room, the giddy smiles faltered as they saw Tessa’s apprehensive expression and Scott’s pumped up energy. 

“Whatcha need a laptop for Scottie?” Alma ruffled Scott’s hair as he flipped the screen, and began logging into his Netflix account. She shot a concerned look at Kate, as Tessa had wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist. 

“Tessa has never seen the movie Misery! Can you believe it?!” Scott did not look up, and was oblivious to the three horrified women’s faces. Tessa was mouthing “help!” to her mother and shaking her head with very slight movements. Kate was giving Alma a look to stop Scott, and all Alma could do was drop her mouth in disappointment.

“What… Why?” Alma looked down at Scott’s determined gaze at the laptop, and tried to gain his attention. “Scott, I don’t think Tessa really wants to watch something like that. Why don’t you watch something funny or sweet? How about that new Reese Witherspoon movie?”

Scott finally looked up at the three women. “Tess, this is a classic movie and it isn’t that bad. Promise. It won awards!” Looking at his mother and Kate, “You can watch it with us.” He looked around at the bed, “There’s plenty of space.”

Kate and Alma shot each other frantic looks. Kate squeezed Tessa’s shoulders tightly and then quickly backed towards the door. “No, no, no! You kids have fun with your movie. We’ll be downstairs if you need us.” Scott fought back a smirk as the two women practically ran over each other in their attempt to flee the room, and his suspicions were confirmed… they were definitely trying to set them up. 

 

“I haven’t even seen the ankle scene, but I get your reference now.” Tessa had moved from the pillows to laying on Scott’s chest for the movie. There were moments when she had to cover her face, and she could feel his heart rate increase. Was it because she was so close to him, and he could feel her breath on his stomach or was it because of the movie? She wrapped her arms around his torso, and sighed as he kissed the top of her head. He just needed to move his kisses about five inches further down towards her lips… 

She was definitely not paying attention to the small computer screen. Tessa was envisioning something that would’ve been more like Fifty Shades of Grey when Scott grabbed her tight and sat up. He excitedly whispered into her ear, “This is it.” She felt goosebumps along her arms from his warm breath, and the anticipation of what was unfolding. The scene perfectly captured a sense of dread, and her heart pounded even harder in her chest. She wanted to pull her eyes from the screen and go back to her Fifty Shades of Scott fantasy, but she buried her face into Scott's underarm and held her breath. Scott paused the movie, and comforted her. “We don’t have to watch it, it’s okay, T.” 

She shook her head, and looked back towards the screen. “It’s fine.” It was not fine, she hated horror movies but this had been more psychological than gory… she could do this. She focused on the music playing, and was able to make out the too familiar strands of “Moonlight Sonata.” She felt a conditioned response of anger and anxiety from their last competitive season, and then she gasped in horror as Kathy Bates earned her Oscar. She felt Scott flinch and his arms tighten around her, and she looked up at him. “Another reason to fucking hate that song.”

Scott exploded into a loud burst of laughter. He looked down at her and he had the real smile. The smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners, but she only saw it for a moment before the smile disappeared against her lips. It only took her a brief nanosecond of confusion before she reciprocated and kissed him back.


	6. Day 3 (the evening)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens after a first kiss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long delay, and this super short chapter (it really should've been added to the last one)! One of these days, I'm going to plan my writing better. Thanks for sticking with the story and for the awesome comments! Hope you're still enjoying the story and where it is headed.

Day 3: The evening

Five minutes? Five hours? He wasn’t really sure how much time had passed or how many minutes were left in the movie after the ankle scene, but the next time he thought to look at Tessa’s laptop we was greeted by the ending credit screen. Netflix was now recommending that they watch “The Shining” or “Saw,” which under normal movie watching conditions with Tessa would make him laugh. However, he just spent the last undisclosed amount of time kissing his best friend, business partner, skating wife, bandmate, and any other completely inadequate description he or others have used over the past twenty years to describe the woman currently in his arms. 

In all of his many hormonal pubescent sex-fueled daydreams, never did Scott imagine “Misery” as the catalyst for their first kiss moment. This was like an old-school, middle school make out session. Neither were doing anything to progress the physical intimacy, choosing to relish in this new experience and sensation. Despite his many fantasies about having sex with Tessa, he made sure his hands stayed above the clothes and stuck to areas of choreographed familiarity. Any time he ached to move to uncharted locales, he quickly reminded himself that his mother could be on the other side of the door. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if they had inserted nanny cams and were spying on them… which is kind of gross and creepy. 

 

 

She might as well have watched the ankle scene on youtube, because she could still definitively and honestly say she had not SEEN “Misery.” She was finally kissing Scott, and this wasn’t like one of their “oops” accidental kisses during practice or a performance. This was like legit, face-sucking kissing she would expect to do in the front seat on a second date in high school. Her awkward, skipped-a-year freshman self wold be whooping and hollering if she could see that Scott Moir’s tongue was in her mouth and his hand was chastely on her knee. 

There was a vulnerability and sweetness in the kisses, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t passion or arousal that felt like it was burning through her leggings. She was torn between telling Scott exactly where he could find the condoms in her bathroom, and never wanting this moment of innocence and awakening to end. Why had they never done this before?!

Scott’s movements suddenly went still, and she knew his eyes were open and focusing on something beyond her before she opened hers. His lips were still nibbling at her bottom lip, but his eyes were looking from the laptop to the corners of her room… kinda weird and distracting.

Pulling her face back to make eye contact, she rubbed the back of his neck to return his attention to her. His eyes softened and she could see the blush rising in his cheeks. “Ahem… so…” Her voice was husky and ragged in her throat, and she knew her cheeks were matching his. She looked at him through her lowered eyelashes suddenly bashful at their newfound intimacy.

“So…” he chuckled, and his eyes looked over her face as if he was seeing her for the first time. “That was…” his voice trailed off, and his eyebrows were drawn together in contemplation. She could tell his mind was racing through different scenarios, and he was busy trying to read her reaction. She felt the cool absence of his hands as they shifted from her to wring nervously in his lap. “Do you want to talk?” 

“We’ve spent twenty-two years talking,” Reaching out to grasp his hand, she wanted to reassure him that she was fucking ecstatic and what better way to do that than to fling herself on top of him. She giggled at the surprised noise he made as her lips crushed into his and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She watched his eyebrows disappear into his hairline in surprise, and his eyes darkened before closing as she intensified the kiss. In a swift and graceful move, her body was completely pressed against his and her leggings did little to mitigate the feeling of Scott beneath her. 

She felt him shift under her, and she moaned as his lips were once again on her neck. His hands were cupping her ass, pressing her into him with more force. “Shit,” she whispered… why didn’t she keep condoms in her nightstand?! Their discrete storage spot in her bathroom was entirely too far away. “Shit!” came out in a fierce mutter as she launched herself off of Scott when she heard the shrill voices from her now open bedroom door.

 

 

Alma hit the doorknob with her elbow, and backed into the room as she carried Scott’s dinner tray. She was confused to hear Kate yelp and see her shocked expression in front of her. It seemed like slow motion as she screamed out a warning when Kate dropped Tessa’s dinner tray at her feet. “Kate! Are you alright?!” Alma quickly placed Scott’s tray down on the floor to tend to her friend who was staring beyond her into the room. Her stunned expression suddenly transformed into one of delightful jubilation. 

Utterly confused, Alma finally turned to peer into the dimly lit bedroom. At first glance, Tessa and Scott were sitting on the bed, fully clothed… nothing to see, but then she noticed the awkward body placement on the bed, the guilty glances, Scott’s nervous fidgeting, and they were both panting like they just finished their free dance. The sheets were in disarray, but that was nothing compared to both of their hair. Scott’s was sticking in all directions, while Tessa could be the Google search image for “bedhead.” It was difficult to tell in the dark, but Tessa’s chin was red and both of their lips were swollen. 

“Damnit, shit, fuck!” Alma began mumbling as she turned her back to the silent couple, and she busied herself with cleaning the mess from the dropped tray. They interrupted exactly what they were trying to spark! Still on her knees, Alma was suddenly aware the door was open and looked over her shoulder to an increasingly embarrassed Tessa and Scott. She scrambled to grab the door knob, and attempted to pull it shut with a muffled “Sorry!” through the closed door.

While Alma cleaned and shuffled for the door, Kate was still standing in the exact same position. The only change in her movement involved her hands that were now clasped together in front of her heart. She blew her daughter a kiss, and gave Scott a megawatt smile in response to his flushed embarrassment. She was laughing and crying as she stared at two of her most favorite people in the world finally together… in bed.

With the door mercifully closed, Kate looked down at Alma and dropped to her knees. “They… we…” her mind couldn’t focus on what exactly she wanted to say anymore than her throat could produce words between her laughs and thankful sobs. Her hand reached out to clutch Alma’s, and she pulled Alma to her in a tight hug. 

“It’s about damn time.” Alma huffed into her ear, and Kate could feel her friend’s tears dampen her shoulder. “You know what this means?”

“Grandchildren?” Both women laughed, and sat back in awed silence. As much as they hoped and believed this was the right outcome for their two children over the years, they were still blown away it was happening now after all this time.

“Time to go home.” Alma looked at the door, and Kate nodded her agreement. Looking down at the mess, Scott’s tray was still outside in the hallway. Her lips curled into a devious smile, and she reached for the handle. Without a word, she opened the door only wide enough that she could slip the tray into the door and quickly slammed the door shut behind it. She giggled when she heard Scott bark an exaggerated “HA HA!”

 

 

They could hear the giggling from their mothers outside the bedroom door. The muffled voices were difficult to understand, but they both made out a giddy and distinctive, “Grandchildren,” followed by more giggles. He didn’t even have time to react on his own, because his head immediately turned to Tessa, ready to stop her from running away or talking her back from whatever ledge she was staring over. He was relieved to see her smiling, and then stifling her own laughter. Or should he be confused and insulted that she found the thought of procreating with him hilarious? 

The opening door brought both of their attention directly in front of them, and they braced for their meddling mothers. However, no one appeared in the door and a moment later Scott’s tray slid into Tessa’s room and the door quickly shut behind it. “You’re not funny, Ma!” Scott yelled towards the slammed door. Whatever dam had bottled Tessa’s laughter earlier was clearly broken, and she was doubled-over on the mattress.

Finally catching her breath, her cackling began to fade into gentle laughter and then just little sporadic giggles. Wiping the corners of her eyes, she looked over to him with bright emerald eyes. He lifted his eyebrow, silently waiting for an explanation. Sitting up, she took a couple of calming breaths before turning her entire body to face him. The left side of her lips turned up in a playful smirk. “We just got caught… by BOTH of our moms.” 

He returned the smirk, and ran his fingertips in light, playful circles on her knee. “Think they’ll ground us?” His smirk deepened and he felt a pang of arousal when she shuddered at his touch. 

She nodded with a fake grimace and leaned forward, hovering near his lips, “Probably send us to our room...” She was so close that he could feel her breath teasing his lips as she spoke. 

“To make grandchildren,” he added solemnly before he bridged the narrow distance between them.


End file.
